Less is more:  To many items placed on a table or shelf can look cluttered.   With so many things to look at the eye is confused and can’t focus, which can give your room an uncomfortable feel.  Instead pick the best, or your favorite items in your collection, and arrange them in sets of threes, using like colors, seasons, or themes.  Then change out your collection when the seasons and holidays change.  You can enjoy them anew each time you rearrange them.  Our Hutch is a great addition to add storage and display area.

Group like things together:  It will make your room look thought out and comfortable.   But, don’t for get about color, you can group things that are not related but are of the same color hue for the eclectic look.  

Color:  Don’t be afraid to try something new.  Color is a great way to give a cohesive look from one room to the next.  Paint is a very inexpensive way to liven up a room in just a weekend.  If you don’t like it repaint it.   The best way to test a color is to get the small paint samples from your paint store and put it on your walls in 3 X 3 squares and life with it for 24 hours and see what it is like as the light in the room changes during the day and night.   Buy good paint there is a huge difference in cheap paint and high quality wall paint. 

Choosing a color:  Pick a piece of fabric, rug, place mat, picture, or vase.  Something you love and want in the room.  Then use the colors as your jumping off point for the color palette in the room.  Use the most neutral color as your wall color if you have a lot of colorful furniture and accents.  The mid range color if your room is fairly large and your furniture is a neutral color.  Darks are best used only as accent walls or below a chair rail.  Dark colors can make a room feel smaller than it is if not used correctly.   Bare in mind the floor covering should anchor your room.  If you have bad carpet area rugs can some times be a quick economical fix until a more permanent solution can be done.

Texture:  Texture can help warm up a space and give it visual interest.  Many times you can go for a walk and find interesting textural items for free right in your own back yard.  Our cut out stars and grapevine wreaths are great ways to add texture in a room. 

Faux Techniques:  Be careful not to over apply them.  Same can be overwhelming to a room.

Height in a room:  Don’t leave your eye in one low level in a room.  Use floor to ceiling curtains or put shelves above your windows as curtain rod hangers to draw your eye up and around the room.   Our tall wall shelf with the putney pantry below is a great way to get height and interest from floor to ceiling.

Picture Height placement:   Hang pictures at eye level for most of the population by placing the center of your picture about 4 ½ to 5 ½  feet off the floor.  

Accessories:  The jewelry of your room.  Sprinkle them throughout your room picking up color to accent your color palette.

Furniture Placement:  This is key to a comfortable functional room.  Be careful not to line your walls with furniture.  Its okay to place a sofa in the center of a room with at sofa table behind it to create a traffic flow or break up a long room.  Traffic flow is a must.  You should not have to be a gymnast to get in or out of your room.  When there are two focal points in a room, such as a fireplace and a TV.  Try using swivel chairs that can simply be turned the direction you need, or divide the room into areas for conversation and TV viewing. 

Remember if you love it, its the right decorating choice for you!!